


In the Garden

by OpalizedBone



Series: Discord Giveaways [4]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Flower Crowns, Flowers, Fluff, Kissing, Short & Sweet, Sweet, cullen you need a break, you work too hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 03:44:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16339193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpalizedBone/pseuds/OpalizedBone
Summary: “Let me steal you away from your work, just for a moment,” Lydia offered, standing up and squeezing his shoulder. He wiped his quill on a piece of handkerchief and set it aside, laying his own hand over hers and giving a warm squeeze. “You work far too hard, love.”“Someone must keep us up and running,” Cullen said, but he sat back, looking up at her with adoration.“I’m sure Josephine will let us know if anything goes drastically wrong,” Lydia teased, and Cullen finally relented, standing up and wrapping her in his warm arms. Leaning down, he kissed her gently, then stepped back, keeping a firm hold of her hand. She laced their fingers together.~fic 4 of my dragon age giveaways! shakes wanted a quiet moment in the garden between her lovely Lydia Trevelyan and Cullen :) this was really adorable and lovely to write! cullen deserves a break tbh





	In the Garden

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AParisianShakespearean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AParisianShakespearean/gifts).



Commander Cullen worked too much. Lydia Trevelyan knew it, the soldiers knew it, Cassandra knew it, the stable boy knew it--hell,  _ everyone  _ knew it. Even now, months after Corypheus’ defeat, he spent his every waking moment working on one thing or another, be it training the soldiers, writing reports, or shaping up his own form with the sword. Lydia felt like the only time she saw him sometimes was when she managed to steal him away from his work, little snippits of time that felt far too short to her. She planned to make sure this time was longer, a proper chunk of time to spend with her beloved.

 

Late in the day, when the sun was nearing the top of the mountains surrounding Skyhold, Lydia made her way to Cullen’s office. It was a beautiful day, the air crisp and cool but the sun warm where it touched her skin. She knocked slightly before letting herself in.

 

Cullen was hunched over his desk, blonde head bent low over a piece of parchment as he wrote. The windows did a poor job of letting in the sunlight, and he had a handful of candles lit. In the flickering firelight, he looked extraordinarily tired, eyes strained, mouth a thin, taut line.

 

“Cullen?” Lydia spoke up when he didn’t seem to notice her entry. He looked up, and for a moment the tension melted from his face, replaced with a warm smile.

 

“My love,” he greeted her, and she smiled, warmth blooming on her cheeks. Then he frowned and looked back at his paperwork. “I’m afraid I don’t have much time at the moment.”

 

“Surely you have a few minutes to spare,” Lydia said, walking around the desk. She bent down and pressed a kiss to his temple, sliding her arm around his shoulders.

 

“Hmm,” Cullen hummed noncommitedly, his focus clearly still on the paper.

 

“Let me steal you away from your work, just for a moment,” Lydia offered, standing up and squeezing his shoulder. He wiped his quill on a piece of handkerchief and set it aside, laying his own hand over hers and giving a warm squeeze. “You work far too hard, love.”

 

“Someone must keep us up and running,” Cullen said, but he sat back, looking up at her with adoration.

 

“I’m sure Josephine will let us know if anything goes drastically wrong,” Lydia teased, and Cullen finally relented, standing up and wrapping her in his warm arms. Leaning down, he kissed her gently, then stepped back, keeping a firm hold of her hand. She laced their fingers together.

 

“Lead the way, then,” Cullen smiled, and she grinned back. 

 

Leading them out of the dark room and into the warm sunlight, they made their way across the ramparts and through the main hall, emerging in the garden a minute later. Lydia happily led them over to a sunny patch of grass, dotted with hundreds of tiny wildflowers, and sat down, tugging Cullen with her. He sat down, and she settled in his lap, back-to-front. She glanced back over her shoulder to see his face.

 

In the sunlight, Cullen’s eyes were like pools of honey, his golden hair glinting. Lydia smiled and began picking the wildflowers from around their legs; pink, purple, white, blue.

 

“I want to show you something,” Lydia said, gathering the flowers in her lap. Cullen rested his hands on her thighs, watching over her shoulder.

 

“What is it?”

 

“How to weave the flowers into a crown,” Lydia replied, happily picking more flowers. She plucked long strands of grass, too, adding them to the pile.

 

“What? Why?” Cullen asked, surprise clear in his voice.

 

“You need a break, my love,” Lydia said, twisting to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Indulge me.” Cullen looked at her face for a moment before smiling.

 

“Of course, love,” Cullen murmured. “Anything for you.”

 

Lydia smiled and turned back around, picking up some strands of grass and beginning to braid it. Every few plaits, she’d add in a new flower, picking up more grass as she went. She explained how she did it, going slowly to show Cullen exactly how she did it.

 

“You try,” she said when she was done. Cullen’s hands left her thighs to hesitantly pick up a few pieces of grass and flowers.

 

“Like this?” Cullen asked, beginning to braid the pieces together.

 

“Now add in a flower,” Lydia nodded. She coached Cullen along as he made his first crown, getting better as he went. In the end, he held up a misshapen, lumpy crown, and she beamed proudly.

 

“Now all you need is practice!” Lydia proclaimed, starting a new crown. Cullen pressed a kiss to her shoulder and started a new one of his own.

 

They sat together in the warm sun, braiding quietly. The breeze was a little cool, and Lydia was grateful for Cullen’s abundant warmth. Bumble bees buzzed around them, occasionally landing on them for a moment before meandering away. A butterfly or two flitted nearby. The garden was mostly empty, but the dull chatter of a few groups of people rumbled in the background. Lydia could smell elfroot and embrium from the apothecary corner mixed with the scent of the wildflowers and grass in her lap. 

 

“I must admit that this is nice,” Cullen murmured into her hair. Lydia smiled, even though he couldn’t see her face, and nodded.

 

“I thought it would be a nice break,” Lydia said, quietly so as not to disturb the peace. “I’ve often found the garden to be a peaceful place.”

 

“I would have to agree with you on that,” Cullen said, finishing his flower crown and inspecting it. It turned out much better than the first.

 

“It’s important to get away sometimes,” Lydia said. She tied off the last of her flower crown and shifted out of Cullen’s lap to face him. “Besides, I’ve missed you.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Cullen began, but she cut him off with a gentle kiss. Leaning back, she placed the crown upon his brow.

 

“Don’t apologize, love,” Lydia murmured, smiling. “We’re here now.”

 

“Yes,” Cullen said, putting his own crown on Lydia’s head. “That’s the important thing.”

 

“I love you,” Lydia said, leaning in again to kiss him.

 

“Just as I adore you,” Cullen murmured. The kissed in the warm sun before Lydia settled back into his lap. Cullen pulled her closer and sighed, finally relaxed and fully content with the world.


End file.
